Laritza Diversent speaks at the IACHR public hearing on transnational repression in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, during the 195th session. Screenshot: Cubalex / IACHR official YouTube broadcast.
March 13, 2026
During the 195th session of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Laritza Diversent, a lawyer and executive director of Cubalex, spoke at a public hearing dedicated to analyzing transnational repression in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. In her remarks, she warned that this phenomenon constitutes a growing threat to human rights defenders in exile.
Diversent pointed out that transnational repression not only violates fundamental rights, but also attempts to erase memory, silence voices, and limit the ability of those forced to continue their activism from outside their countries of origin to have an impact. In this context, she stressed the need for states to address this problem in a coordinated manner and in accordance with international standards and obligations, both regarding human rights in general and specifically concerning the refuge and protection of human rights defenders.
She also stressed that the response to this phenomenon must be collective and based on international cooperation. “If we have learned anything, it is that solidarity can also be transnational, and that in the face of fear, truth remains our best defense,” she stated.
In this regard, Cubalex requested that the IACHR adopt a series of measures to strengthen the regional response to transnational repression. These include recognizing and conceptualizing this phenomenon, as well as continuing to monitor it through its various mechanisms. Cubalex also requested the preparation of a specific report on transnational repression in the region, which would highlight its patterns and consequences, and the inclusion of this issue in the Commission's annual report.
The organization also urged the strengthening of national protection mechanisms for human rights defenders in exile, particularly in host countries such as Costa Rica, Colombia and the United States, ensuring that those who have been forced to leave their countries can continue their work of denouncing and defending human rights.
Another recommendation presented was to promote an investigation protocol for acts of transnational repression, which would clearly define the obligations of States when investigating these events, taking into account the profile of the victims and the political motivation that usually underlies these practices.
Cubalex also requested that the IACHR establish a specific mechanism to monitor the humanitarian crisis and serious human rights violations committed in Cuba, as has already occurred in relation to other countries in the region.
Finally, the organization called on the Commission to promote coordinated regional responses to the extraterritorial expansion of state persecution for political reasons.
“Repression does not stop at borders. That is why, when persecution extends beyond national territories, justice mechanisms and international human rights protection must also extend beyond them,” Diversent concluded.
